Last year, the city launched the Breast & Prostate Cancer Awareness
Program, a community campaign designed to build awareness of these
diseases and urge people to have regular screenings. The program was
kicked off by a press conference at the Stamford Government Center and
garnered area media attention. Major components of the effort included the
production and airing of the "Itís Best to Test" video; a special "Best of
Health" cable television program segment; radio and print public service
advertising; posters and flyers spread throughout the city; a press
conference; and various screening and educational events held throughout
the first week in June.

Using Existing Health .Promotions in
1999

While the 1998 campaign was successful, the 1999 organizers decided to
strengthen the initiative by capitalizing on existing health promotions.
To this end, they dovetailed the breast and prostate cancer screening
campaign with the ongoing cancer .education and risk prevention efforts of
.the Stamford Health System. In order to demonstrate this partnership and
allow .sufficient time for screening sign up, the campaign was officially
launched in May during the health systemís "WALK Week." This major health
event started a month .of various educational activities designed .to
promote overall cancer awareness.

Stamford citizens had the opportunity .to sign up for breast and
prostate cancer screenings throughout this month of cancer awareness
activities, which culminated in "Itís Best to Test" week. Screenings took
place at several locations around the city during this period, which ended
with the annual "Bennett Cancer Center WALK" .on Sunday, June 6, 1999.

Outreach through a Public Information
Blitz

The 1999 organizers decided to give full weight to a public information
saturation campaign to get the awareness message out to the community.
They came up with events and materials designed to reach every Stamford
citizen, relying on four key elements as described below.

Partnership with Stamford Health
System

The partnership with the Stamford Health System played an important
role in the success of this yearís effort. As was the case last year, the
health system helped facilitate and deliver the mammograms and Prostate
Specific Antigen tests provided to city residents. This year the health
systemís participation was made more "official," which enabled the
campaign organizers to tap into further resources and existing
communications vehicles to extend awareness for the breast and prostate
cancer program. In addition to individual resources, the partnership
delivered:

Production of a print public service
announcement which ran in

The Advocate (Stamfordís daily local news-paper) during "Itís Best to Test" week;

Production of approximately 14,000 .flyers which were distributed
through-.out the course of the program;

Inclusion in WALK promotional materials, including press releases and
a special newspaper insert;

Inclusion in the health systemís May/June
Calendar of Events that is distributed by mail to over 10,000 residents
and also runs in

The Advocate and Greenwich
Time once a month.

Participation and support at the kickoff event, including
coordination of the art display that remained in the Stamford Government
Center lobby throughout the campaign.

Public Service Announcements

Relationships with the local media were leveraged, using public service
time and space to extend awareness for the campaign. Key public service
announcement (PSA) events were:

Mayor Malloy recorded a 60-second PSA that ran on WSTC-AM, Stamfordís
local news-radio station, throughout the month of May;

Stamford Health System produced a print PSA that ran in

The Advocate .during "Itís Best to Test" week;

The breast cancer awareness PSA .that Mayor Malloy recorded at the
Conference of Mayors 1999 Winter Meeting was aired on local cable
.stations; and

For added continuity from the 1998 campaign to the 1999 campaign,
.local cable stations also ran the "Best .of Health" program recorded last
.year to promote breast and prostate .cancer awareness.

Kickoff Event

To launch the second annual campaign .and announce the partnership with
Stamford Health System, the organizers held a media event in the lobby of
the Stamford Government Center on May 4, 1999. Speakers included: Mayor
Malloy; Stamford Health System Vice President of Corporate Planning, Gail
Evans; and two city employees who are cancer survivors, Jack Leydon and
Lillian Little.

In symbolizing the partnership between the city and its major health
care provider, Mayor Malloy and Ms. Evans unveiled a special art exhibit
with work done by patients at the Bennett Cancer Center. .The event
received great coverage which included WABC-TV Eyewitness News .out of New
York City,

The
Advocate,
Cablevision News 12, Connecticut Public Radio; and
WGCH-AM.

Community Relationships

The cityís Senior Center helped promote the program through its
existing communications vehicles. Information about the campaign and
individual screenings were included in the monthly senior flyer and
newsletter.

The organizers enlisted the support of The Ferguson Library again for
the 1999 campaign. In addition to setting up a display .of books and
educational information at the main branch, the library also produced a
comprehensive resource list for those looking for further information on
breast and prostate cancer. This list included books in English and
Spanish, audio/video resources, Web sites, and health database electronic
addresses. The government .center, as well as at the five library branches
around the city, made the list available to visitors and patrons.

The Stamford Post Office lent its support by tying in the unveiling of
a new prostate cancer awareness stamp with the cityís first prostate
cancer screening event. Working with representatives from the post office,
the organizers arranged for the new stamp to be sold in the lobby of the
government .center during the first day of screening. They further
coordinated the time that .the postmaster went for his screening for
prostate cancer with a photo opportunity for the local media.

Referral and Follow-up

There were referral and follow-up procedures in place for both men and
women tested as part of Stamfordís campaign.

Those men whose Prostate Specific Antigen test result was greater than
2.0 received notification via mail that they should call to schedule a
Digital Rectal Exam. Once this additional test was completed, a physician
could then recommend further treatment if necessary.

All women who received mammograms were notified of their test results
via mail, as were their designated physician/health clinics. Women with
abnormal readings were advised to seek further testing, and their health
care providers were encouraged to follow-up with their patients. It was
ultimately up to the individual to pursue any additional
testing.

Overall Results

Nearly 200 people were screened during the breast and prostate cancer
awareness campaign. This turnout was due to the public information
saturation campaign that received such strong support from the media as
follows:

A one-page ad ran in

The
Advocate .as a
public service.

100 public service announcements .on WSTC-AM radio played during .the
month.